


Fluff, Good Times, and Lover's Spats

by Squilkey



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Confessions, Drabbles, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Pining, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-08-02 06:06:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16299551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squilkey/pseuds/Squilkey
Summary: Hi, I'll be posting all my Tyrus one-shots and drabbles I do for tumblr in this fic here :)





	1. M&Ms

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to where I will be posting my tumblr drabbles! This chapter was written based off the prompt 'If M&Ms taste different based on their color (TJ thinks they do, Cyrus thinks they don’t)'

TJ grinned up at his boyfriend, who was balancing a bucket of popcorn on one knee, his hand occupied by an M&M box, and trying to drop his soda into the seat’s cupholder. The soda fell in gracefully but the M&Ms slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground with a rattle. TJ laughed at the spectacle as Cyrus turned to him and frowned. 

“You could help me, you know.”

“But you look so cute when you struggle,” TJ teased, leaning down and scooping up the fallen M&Ms. “At least they weren’t open.” Cyrus turned and flopped into the seat next to TJ, placing the popcorn in between his legs. 

Just as Cyrus settled in his seat, TJ rattled the M&M box. “Catch,” he said, tossing it across his body.

Cyrus’ instincts got the better of him and he jumped at the sight of the box, popcorn going up with him and falling back down all across his body. “You’re evil,” Cyrus stated, brushing the popcorn from his lap. 

“You love me,” TJ replied, picking a piece off Cyrus’ sweater and popping it into his mouth. 

“Hey! No eating until the movie starts.” TJ pouted at him and reached for another piece, but Cyrus grabbed his hand in retaliation, interlocking their fingers. “What are you gonna do now?” He smiled, holding up their hands in victory. 

“If only I had another hand,” TJ mused, reaching around Cyrus again. 

“C’mon, I really don’t want to go back for refills,” Cyrus protested. 

“Okay, okay. But we at least have to sort out the M&Ms.” 

Cyrus frowned. “What does that mean?” 

“Well, which colours do you like? We can split them up because I really don’t like the yellow ones,” TJ explained, reaching for the box. Cyrus dropped his hand to grab the M&Ms first.

“TJ, they don’t taste different based on colour.” 

“Of course they do. They’re all slightly different, why else would they be coloured? Otherwise they would just all be brown!” Cyrus blinked in response. What?

“They definitely don’t taste different. How could you have green-tasting chocolate?” Cyrus said, fiddling with the box. 

“It’s not the chocolate, it’s the coating on the candy,” TJ explained. “They definitely taste different. Maybe I just have more evolved tastebuds.”

“I don’t think that’s how taste works,” Cyrus replied, tearing open the M&M box. “Close your eyes.” TJ did as he was told, no questions asked. He pulled out a blue M&M from the box and grabbed TJ’s hand, placing it in his fist. “Eat it and tell me what colour it is. TJ put the candy in his mouth and then opened his eyes, locking eyes with Cyrus. He sucked on it for a second.

“Blue,” he said. Cyrus frowned. “Ha! I was right.”

“Lucky guess,” Cyrus responded. 

“Try me again! Just no yellows, I really don’t like them.” 

“Well that’s not fair, you just made the probability of guessing correcting go from 1/6th to 1/5th!” Cyrus protested. 

“Cyrus, I promise you I’m not good enough at math to have purposely done that,” TJ laughed, sneaking a handful of popcorn. 

“Is this all just a ploy for you to eat before the previews start?” Cyrus questioned. 

TJ grinned. “It wasn’t, but it seems to be working.” Cyrus threw a piece of popcorn at TJ in retaliation, but the boy caught it in his mouth and rose his eyebrow. 

“Okay, close your eyes,” Cyrus resigned. TJ complied immediately, once again. He pulled out a red M&M from the box and placed in into TJ’s hand, which was stuck out right in front of his face. TJ threw his head back, held the candy over his head, and dropped it into his mouth. 

“Hmm,” he mused. Cyrus smiled, he was right. “I’m just kidding,” TJ admitted, “It’s red.” 

“How?” Cyrus exclaimed. 

“Because they taste different!” TJ insisted, reaching for the box. Cyrus pulled away at the last second.

“One more,” he requested. TJ nodded and closed his eyes. Cyrus pulled out a yellow one from the box. He was going to prove himself right or TJ wasn’t going to enjoy his victory. He dropped it in TJ’s palm and TJ threw it into his mouth. 

Barely a second passed before TJ frowned. “I hate you,” he mumbled. 

“Why?” Cyrus asked, feigning innocence. TJ opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows. “Okay, I’m sorry,” Cyrus said, “But I still don’t believe you can taste a difference, you’re cheating somehow.” 

“Believe what you want,” TJ replied, pulling the box from Cyrus’ hands, “But I’m going to give you all the yellows.” 

“That’s not really a threat,” Cyrus laughed. TJ was silent as he picked through the box, dropping all the yellow M&Ms into Cyrus’ popcorn bucket. “I don’t get any other colours?” Cyrus pouted. TJ pulled one brown M&M from the box and dropped it alongside the yellow ones. 

“My second least favourite,” TJ said. “M&Ms have colour to add to the flavour of the chocolate, so who would want brown?” 

“People who don’t taste colour, I guess,” Cyrus replied, stealing a red M&M from TJ’s hand.

“Hey—”

“—Shh, the previews are starting,” Cyrus cut him off. He threw some M&Ms in his mouth and turned to face the screen. TJ moved into his space and whispered at him. 

“Can I kiss you?” He mumbled. 

Cyrus let out a shaky breath. “Yeah,” he whispered back. TJ moved in, his lips ghosting over Cyrus’ as he placed a light kiss on his lips before pulling back.

“Yellow,” he stated.

“Yeah,” Cyrus grinned, “You got a problem with that?”

“I’ll suffer through that for you,” TJ mumbled, leaning back in for another kiss. 


	2. Oreos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small dialogue drabble involving oreos and another cute squabble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk i wrote this too pass the time i had between waking up and then new episode and i got done with it pretty fast lol so its going here

Cyrus grabbed at the packet of Oreos sitting on TJ’s desk, rustling it slightly. He was sitting up on the table, his feet on his boyfriends lap. TJ was sitting in the desk chair, rapping on the empty space right next to Cyrus’ body with two pencils, avoiding all work if possible. 

“Hey!” TJ exclaimed, dropping one of the pencils. “Those are a reward for when I finish my work!” 

“Yeah, but you haven’t done anything in an hour,” Cyrus complained. “Besides, I finished my homework yesterday, as you should have.”

“You were working in the middle of my game,” TJ pointed out, pushing himself back on the chair. Cyrus’ cheeks went pink and TJ noticed immediately. “It was an easy game, underdog. Didn’t need your attention anyway,” he joked, rapping away on the desk with his pencil again.

“You know I pay attention in your actual games.”

“Do you?” TJ feigned uncertainty. “I wouldn’t notice, too busy being fawned over by all my female fans.” Cyrus rolled his eyes and lightly kicked him in the chest. TJ smiled at his boyfriend and then sighed , looking down at his worksheet.

Cyrus fiddled with the Oreos and then held the packet in front of TJ’s face. “Am I allowed a reward?” Cyrus asked.

“You can have _one_ ,” TJ yielded. Cyrus smiled widely and ripped open the seal. He dislodged the first cookie and carefully twisted it to open it up. He scraped the cream from the lesser cookie onto the other one and then put the naked side down on the desk. He looked up from the cookie to see TJ frowning at him. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Well you didn’t buy Double Stuf,” Cyrus explained, as if that answered the question completely.

TJ wrinkled his nose, “Double Stuf is disgusting.” Cyrus gasped. “And how does that make what you’re doing to that cookie okay?”

“There’s not enough cream to make the bite satisfying so if you put it all on one side and then just eat it, it tastes much better.”

“Wait,” TJ finally put down his pencil, “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who thinks the cream is better than the—the chocolate part, the—what’s it even called?”

“The cookie?” Cyrus offered.

TJ shook his head, “No, wouldn’t the cookie include the cream since it’s called an ‘Oreo cookie’?” 

Cyrus pursed his lips together. “The biscuit?” 

“You went to England for two weeks, Cyrus,” TJ joked, knocking him in the side with his pencil. 

“I’m trying to be helpful!” TJ rolled his eyes and looked back down at his homework. “And yes, of course I like the cream better, everyone does.” Cyrus popped the cookie half into his mouth. “But guess what?” He said, knocking TJ with his foot. The boy looked up from his worksheet and rose an eyebrow. 

“Now you get this half,” he smiled, holding out the cream-less cookie in front of him. “See? We complete each other.”

“You’re a sap,” TJ said, taking the cookie half from him,” But I love it.”


	3. The Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would Andi do if the wish she had read included TJ? What conclusion would she come to and who would suffer (or benefit) from the repercussions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys welcome to this fic i wrote that idk if i like or not but the show brings me things that i must turn into tyrus.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not believe that the wish that fell was Cyrus' or Tyrus related, sigh. I did a whole analysis on tumblr about it
> 
> ANYWAY I wanted to write something about it that would be REALISTIC to the show... AKA everything is from Andi's POV generally, so I feel like this is most realistic to the Tyrus content we're probably actually going to get on the show

Andi looked up at the lanterns as they took off, her eyes tracking hers as it floated high up in the air. A gust of wind blew it back toward her slightly, but it cleared the tree and glistened in the night sky. A movement directly above shifted her gaze: a lantern had become stuck in the branches of the tree. She watched as it pushed through the leaves, but dropped the paper inside on the way out. Andi watched as the paper fluttered down to the grass at her feet. She made a move to grab it, best no one else see that a wish had fallen. 

She opened it up without even thinking, her eyes immediately falling to the words scrawled on the rice paper. 

_i wish tj could be my boyfriend_

She closed it immediately and bawled it into her fist. “Whoa.” 

Before she could even process the note, Bex came up behind her. “What?” She said.

“The lanterns!” Andi lied. “Whoa,” she repeated. 

“Stunning,” Bex responded. 

Andi nodded slightly. What did this mean? Was Buffy really playing the field with two guys? “You have no idea,” she said aloud. She looked back down at her hand and longed to look over the words scrawled on it again, but Cyrus and Buffy were walking towards her.

“Great festival, Andi!” Cyrus said, still smiling up at the lanterns. 

“It really was,” Buffy added. 

“Yeah. What did you guys end up wishing for?” She asked hesitantly. 

Buffy opened her mouth to speak but Cyrus immediately cut her off. “We can’t say! Otherwise it won’t come true!” 

Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed his shoulder. “That’s what I was _going_ to say.” Andi nodded, she wasn’t going to get it out of her tonight. Especially not around Cyrus. 

 

Andi finally looked at the wish again after she and Bex had arrived home. She read it over multiple times: no way to misinterpret that. So what was she doing with Walker then? Andi had to admit their relationship was a big surprise to her, she had never seen them interact before and Buffy had never mentioned wanting to get to know him. Maybe that’s why she wanted TJ to like her? To get out of having to be with Walker? It seemed cruel, especially for Buffy. 

She took the wish, folded it up, and stuffed it in the pocket of her jacket hanging on her door. She would ask Buffy about it tomorrow, there was no way she could keep the secret for longer than that. 

 

 

The piece of paper felt like a rock in her pocket the whole morning. She constantly grabbed at it throughout the day to make sure it hadn’t fallen out and by the time lunch rolled around, she felt sick with nerves. How was she supposed to bring it up without accusing Buffy of cheating? Of being unfair to Walker? She let out a deep breath and exited the building, heading towards their lunch table outside. 

Buffy was sitting alone, at least that made it slightly easier. She greeted Andi with a smile but quickly realised something was off. 

“Are you okay?” She asked. Andi sighed and sat down, pushing her lunch to the side. 

“I need to talk to you about Walker,” she said. “I don’t think it’s fair that you’re ‘dating’ him.”

“So you _do_ still have feelings for him,” Buffy mused. 

“Not fair to _him_ ,” Andi clarified. “It’s like when I liked Jonah and Walker, you can’t lead them both on.” 

Buffy frowned, obviously confused. “I don’t like Jonah.”

“Not my Jonah! Your Jonah, TJ,” she clarified. 

“How, in any universe, is TJ my _Jonah_?” 

“Because you like him and Walker at the same time!”

Buffy coughed out a laugh. “TJ? You’re kidding, right? I don’t like TJ! I can barely tolerate him.” 

“What do you mean you don’t like TJ?” Andi questioned. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the piece of rice paper, holding it in front of Buffy “So what is this supposed to mean?” Buffy took the wish from Andi’s hands and read it herself. 

“Oh my god,” She looked up at Andi and then back down at the note. “That’s Cyrus’ handwriting,” she whispered to herself. 

“What?” Andi said reflexively, her voice louder than before. “Cyrus? Cyrus has a crush on TJ?"

A clanging noise rang out behind Andi and Buffy’s eyes went wide, she turned around to see what had happened. Cyrus was standing five feet away from their table, TJ next to him. His hands were now empty and his tray of food was on the ground. He looked down at the mess, looked up at Buffy and Andi, panic in his eyes, and sprinted the opposite direction. 

Andi was met with a flood of guilt and worry. What had she done? She looked to Buffy, who was staring at TJ. TJ looked frantic. He spun around to follow Cyrus abandoning the scene and then looked back at the girls, then back where Cyrus had disappeared.

“TJ,” Buffy snapped. TJ looked to her immediately. “Go!” She ordered. TJ hesitated a second and then turned, jogging after Cyrus. 

“I can’t believe I just did that!” Andi whined. “Should I go say something? I feel so bad.” 

“It’s fine, Andi,” Buffy reassured. “I think you did him a favour.” 

“What?”

“Uh, I guess there’s no harm telling you now. TJ has a crush on Cyrus,” she said. Andi blinked in shock. “I found out a few weeks ago. He told me he wouldn’t tell Cyrus because he’s _convinced_ Cyrus only likes him as a friend.” 

“You didn’t tell him?” Andi asked.

Buffy shook her head slowly. “I honestly couldn’t tell if Cyrus _did_ like him. Especially after everything with Jonah, I didn’t want to push him about liking anyone. Besides, TJ refused to let me even mention him around Cyrus.”

“Why?”

“It’s TJ,” Buffy stated, “Who knows?” 

“I still think I need to go apologise to him,” Andi said, standing up from the table. Buffy reached across the table and grabbed Andi’s arm, pulling her back down. 

“Let TJ talk to him first. You never know when his fight or flight reflexes will kick in.”

“Are you sure he went to talk to him?” Andi asked, fidgeting in her seat. “What if he just ran away?”

“I don’t have much faith in TJ,” Buffy admitted. “But what I do know is he is head-over-heels for that boy. Trust me, he’s with him.”

“Do you think they’ll actually talk about it?” Andi asked.

“Hey, if you and Jonah could, anyone can.” 

Andi frowned. “Very funny.” 

Buffy grinned and then stood up. “5th period?” 

 

 

Andi was restless for the next few hours. She wanted to text Cyrus, but the boy always had his phone off until the final bell. Buffy agreed she should meet him at his locker at the end of the school day, and so she did.

He wasn’t there when she arrived, and she paced back and forth down the hall, weaving in and out of kids departing for the day. What was she going to say? Apologise immediately of course, but what next? What do you say when you accidentally _out_ someone? Andi was pretty sure that was a serious offence in the friend-world. 

She forgot everything she was thinking when Cyrus turned the corner. He wasn’t alone. TJ was there next to him, grinning wildly down at the boy, who was smiling more than he had in months. He was talking adamantly to TJ, hopping up and down in excitement. Cyrus approached his locker and turned his smile to Andi. 

“Cyrus! TJ” She exclaimed. “You’re—”TJ shot her a look. “—Talking!” She finished. 

Cyrus looked to TJ and then back at Andi, beaming. “Yes, we’re definitely talking,” Cyrus nodded. “That’s what the kids are calling it these days, right?” 

Andi rolled her eyes and smiled again before remembering her apology. “Oh, Cyrus, I’m so sorry I—”

“—Andi,” Cyrus cut her off, “You obviously don’t have anything to be sorry about.” He held out his hand and TJ grabbed it, squeezing slightly before letting go. 

“But I,” she looked around and then lowered her voice, “ _outed you._ ” 

“Yeah,” Cyrus shrugged, “but just to TJ. And that obviously worked out.”

“I still feel so bad,” Andi admitted. “Can I make it up to you? I’ll cover your baby taters for a month! Milkshakes too?” 

Cyrus laughed and shook his head. “No way!” 

“Wait,” TJ interjected, “I kind of like that deal.” 

“Too bad you didn’t get outed,” Cyrus said.

“I think you literally just outed me to Andi,” TJ commented. 

“Actually you did that yourself when you grabbed my hand,” Cyrus retorted. 

“You grabbed my hand.” 

“Hm, I don’t think I did.” Cyrus said. 

“You probably still owe me something though,” TJ mused, grinning at Cyrus.

“I’ll buy you baby taters?” Cyrus offered. 

TJ shook his head. “Nah, I want a full on date. Dinner, movie, the whole shabang.”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow, “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

Andi coughed slightly and broke the gaze between the two boys. “This is amazing, really. I’m really happy for you guys, but I should probably go.”

TJ’s cheeks had gone slightly red, he had obviously forgotten Andi was standing there. 

“I’m sorry again,” Andi whispered to Cyrus as she left the high school. She was still incredibly sorry, but it was hard not to feel a little proud of what had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks fam, hope you liked it. If you did, drop me a comment cos i love feeling validated and if you didnt pls tell me why cos i can't figure out why im still so iffy on this fic


	4. The Blond Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus missed a da-hang out with TJ, but it's probably fine, right? Not if this random blond kid gets involved
> 
> Based off the outline by ccmuffin on tumblr!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> low key im really happy with this and i wrote it in like an hour and a half between classes today so like ???
> 
> Hope you all enjoy cos this is something i can *definitely* see happening in canon

Cyrus closes his locker and spots TJ walking down the hallway, straight toward him. He smiles and waves as the boy approaches. “Hi T—” 

“—Where were you last night?” TJ interrupts. “We had plans, remember? My house? Dinosaur documentary? My biology assignment?”

Cyrus’ face fell. “Oh my god, I totally forgot! I’m _so_ sorry, TJ! I ended up doing something with my mom and it completely slipped my mind. I can come over after school? I promise I won’t forget. Can I meet you here? Three o’clock?” 

“I wasted two hours waiting for you. You couldn’t send me a text?” 

“I’m an idiot, I know. I feel awful and I really do want to help you. Please, let me make it up to you.” Just as TJ was about to answer, the reason for all Cyrus’ problems at that moment walked up to them. 

“Hey, Cyrus! I’m so glad I have a friendly face at this school,” the blond boy said. “Did you have fun last night?” 

Cyrus shifted on his feet and looked to TJ and then back at the boy. “I—uh, yeah! It was…fun.” 

“Cool!” The kid smiled. “Going to the principals office to pick up my schedule,” he explained, motioning down the hall. “I’ll see you around!”

Cyrus watched the kid leave and then slowly turned back to TJ. “TJ I—”

“You know what? I just remembered I have basketball after school tonight, so forget it.” 

TJ turned to leave, but Cyrus stepped in front of him. “Forget it? Don’t you still need help?” 

“I’m not completely stupid, Cyrus. I’ll figure it out on my own. I’ll ‘see you around’.” He pushed past Cyrus and down the hall, leaving Cyrus dumbstruck in the middle of the hallway.

 

Cyrus walked to the cafeteria at lunch time, hoping to talk to TJ about whatever it was that had happened that morning. Just as he entered the room, he was stopped by Dr. Metcalf. He smiled up at the principal and then attempted to swerve around him, but was stopped again. 

“Mr. Goodman,” he greeted. “It’s come to my attention that you’ve become acquainted with our new student,” he gestured to the boy standing on his right: the boy from earlier. Cyrus nodded in response, his eyes drifting over to the kids now settling at the tables around them, trying to spot TJ. “Perfect! Then you won’t mind helping him around the rest of the afternoon?” Cyrus opened his mouth to reply but Metcalf didn’t give him the opportunity. “Great! Don’t let us down!” He left, abandoning the new kid with Cyrus. 

“You alright?” The kid asked, noticing Cyrus searching for TJ. 

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just…” He trailed off, finally spotting TJ. The two of them locked eyes. TJ broke the contact and look to the kid next to Cyrus, then back. He looked lost… upset, annoyed maybe? Cyrus made a move to walk forward, but TJ moved faster. He picked up his stuff and walked away as fast as he could. Cyrus watched him go and then turned to the kid, still standing in front of him. He sighed. “I can show you how to open your locker?” He offered. 

Cyrus hadn’t seen TJ for a few days. The fact that the two didn’t share any classes really didn’t help his case. How was he supposed to reconcile with someone who was ignoring you at all costs? He couldn’t even figure out _why_. Yes, he had made a mistake. Forgetting plans with a friend was awful, but Andi and Buffy constantly forgot about plans he had made over the course of their friendship and he never held a grudge _this_ long. Besides, he had explained the whole situation over text (even if TJ hadn’t responded).

He asked Buffy for advice on the third day of silence.

“And you’ve apologised?”

“Yes, Buffy! So many times! So many!” 

Buffy frowned. “I don’t know what to say, Cyrus. I guess we know he takes things pretty personally. He got over his problems with me though, maybe just give him time?”

“I hate time,” Cyrus whined. 

“It’s been three days, right?” Buffy asked. Cyrus nodded in response. “Then find him. I know he’s in school so it can’t be _that_ hard.” 

“Okay, I’ll try,” Cyrus replied. Buffy nodded and turned to walk to class, but she stopped.

“Cyrus?”

“Yeah?”

“Friends don’t get this hurt over forgetting plans. Friends don’t get jealous over other friends,” Buffy said.

Cyrus frowned, confused. “He’s definitely my friend, Buffy. We’ve never had any problems before this.”

“That’s not what I mean,” she clarified. “Think about it.” And with that, Buffy walked away, leaving Cyrus alone in the middle of the hallway for the second time that week. 

 

Cyrus caught up with Jonah in the hallway the next period. 

“Cy-Guy! What’s up?” 

“Do you know what class TJ has next?” He asked. 

“Yeah! We actually have math together right now, why?” Cyrus let out a breath of relief, he could finally see the boy. 

“I just need to talk to him,” Cyrus explained.

“Alright! Should I tell him to wait for you after class?”

“No!” Cyrus yelped. Jonah jumped slightly and Cyrus apologised. “Not necessary, I’ll just catch him outside the room. 213, right?” 

Jonah nodded, “You got it.”

 

When the bell rang, Cyrus sprinted to 213, absolutely making sure he wasn’t going to miss the boy exiting. Instead of TJ, he was met with Jonah again. 

“He wasn’t in class,” Jonah revealed, “Sorry.” 

Cyrus’ heart sunk. What was he going to do?

He was too anxious to go to the cafeteria, he didn’t want to talk to anyone. The thought of loosing TJ from his life was something he hadn’t ever expected to predict, and it hurt like hell. He made his way down the the park next to the school, hoping the time away might do him some good. What he hadn’t expected was seeing TJ, right there in a swing, kicking at the dirt. 

TJ looked up at that moment, obviously sensing someone near. The second he met Cyrus’ eyes, he attempted to bolt. 

“TJ, please!” Cyrus begged. “I want to talk to you! You can’t avoid me forever.” 

TJ sighed and let himself fall back down into the swing he was attempting to abandon. 

Cyrus took a deep breath. “You know I’m sorry, right? I’ve said it about a million times and I don’t know what else to do!” TJ didn’t look up at him but Cyrus continued, “You got my text, right? It was a neighbourhood party, my mom had to practically drag me there.” Silence. “He’s boring, that guy. I was only with him that day because I was assigned to show him around.” TJ kicked at the dirt again. “Please? Please talk to me? You know I can’t stand the silent treatment…Please TJ, don’t be mad at me. I miss you.”

TJ sighed and finally looked up. “I’m not mad at you, Cyrus. That’s not why I’m ignoring you. I don’t know whats _wrong_ with me.” He kicked at the dirt, hard. “I feel like I can’t be in the same room as you. I feel… _weird_.” He let out a shaky breath. “I just…I saw you with that guy, saw that you chose him over me, and something in me snapped. I’ve never felt like this before it’s… _awful_ …”

TJ looked back down at the ground, falling silent. 

“I know exactly how you feel, TJ,” Cyrus whispered. 

“You don’t, Underdog. I promise you, you don’t. It’s like I’m going crazy just being around you. I don’t want you to talk to anyone else, I don’t want you to be with anyone else.” He sighed. “I am, I’m going crazy.”

“You’re not going crazy, TJ.”

“Cyrus.” He stated, locking eyes with him. “I like you. Too much. I think…I think I have feelings for you and not…” He visibly swallowed and looked down. “Friend feelings.” 

Cyrus stepped directly in front of the boy, wrapping his hands around the chains on the swing. “You’re not going crazy, you _aren’t_ crazy,” he pressed. “I think I like you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	5. An Observation of The Bleachers—Uh, Tryouts, Definitely the Tryouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy has come to notice a few things about the way Cyrus and TJ interact. Not just with each other, but generally, but more specifically, with each other. Basketball tryouts are stressful and these boys have chosen to come watch. Somehow observing them keeps Buffy from stressing too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well we all know what this is based off of ... hahaha  
> this is all gonna be factually incorrect in a week so read it while you can!!

TJ wears his heart on his sleeve. He may not intend to, but that’s the way he exhibits all of his emotions, and probably always has. It’s most obvious when he’s with Cyrus, though. He can’t manage to keep his hands to himself. It’s just the casual things, like pushing and grabbing, but everyone who knows TJ knows it means something. He can’t refrain from pulling Cyrus closer when they’re standing apart, he has to grab him by the waist when he walks by, and he’ll stand up and push himself between other people if Cyrus isn’t next to him at lunch. 

Cyrus, on the other hand, is much more passive in his advances toward TJ. He’ll slowly scoot closer to the boy until ten minutes have passed and TJ doesn’t even realise Cyrus is pressed right against his shoulder. He’ll nudge TJ with his foot under the table and hook his ankle around the older boy’s. Cyrus is passive and shy, but only because he’s afraid of making the complete wrong move. On the surface, he knows there are no wrong moves with TJ, but subconsciously he can’t help but shy away. TJ is so confident in everything he does and Cyrus is just…not. 

Buffy thinks that this makes for the most ‘interesting dynamic’ she has ever seen. She watches their relationship as if it were a television show playing out right in front of her. The first time she really got a chance to observe it was the first day of tryouts for the girls’ basketball team. Cyrus wanted to be there to support Buffy, the best friend that he is, and TJ claimed he was coming along to watch her ‘crumble under the pressure,’ but she knew who he was really there for. 

Watching their weird flirting helped take Buffy’s mind off the day. TJ entered the hallway the way he always entered a room, loudly and proudly, taking time to announce that he was ready to watch ‘whatever happens, happen’. Upon getting right in her face, TJ shifted backwards and pressed himself next to Cyrus, who was leaning against the wall. They had to wait for the gym to be opened up, and the key had conveniently disappeared after 6th period PE.

Thankfully, her TV show had arrived to keep her occupied. She refrained from smiling upon watching TJ’s shoulder crash into Cyrus’. Cyrus didn’t act like he was bothered in any way. Instead, he smiled up at the boy. TJ moved a little closer and whispered something to Cyrus that Buffy missed. Cyrus pursed his lips in response. 

“Don’t be mean,” he warned. Buffy rolled her eyes and smiled at Cyrus. She didn’t care about TJ’s opinions of her in the slightest, and she was glad Cyrus had her back even while he was totally whipped for the older boy. 

TJ glanced at her and wiggled his body back behind Cyrus’ so he was now leaning against the wall and Cyrus against him. Neither of the boys commented on their current position and continued on talking as if being that close was a normal occurrence. 

Mr. Bag rounded the corner, shaking the keys to the gym in his hand. Buffy watched TJ push himself off the wall and slightly propel Cyrus forward. Cyrus would have likely fallen on his face if TJ’s hand hadn’t directly fallen into Cyrus’ shoulder and rocked him back. Buffy glanced away and took the keys from the coach’s hand. She took a deep breath and unlocked the door.

TJ ducked around behind her and headed toward the supply closet. Buffy had to admit she was thankful for his help, Cyrus was pretty much useless in a gym (aside from the moral support, of course). She let TJ deal with the basketballs as she went over the piece of paper in her hand. A list of girls interested in trying out, alongside the drills she had written out. She followed them over in her head.

“Welcome! Come on in.” Cyrus’ voice broke her concentration. She turned around to see a group of kids walking through the gym doors. “I think you guys can start warming up?” Cyrus said, a little uncertain. He looked toward Buffy, who nodded in approval, and then back to the girls entering. “Yes, warm ups. Do that, please,” he affirmed confidently. 

She was proud of the three of them, doing this all on their own. 

“Catch!” TJ’s voice came just in time for Buffy to pivot and catch the ball that was coming straight to her chest. “Impressive reflexes,” TJ noted. She scowled at him and then jerked her head behind her body. TJ jogged over. They walked toward Cyrus and pulled him aside. 

“Team meeting,” she explained to the two of them. TJ and Cyrus were in charge of observing the girls from the bleachers, making note of those who showed the qualities Buffy was looking for. Cyrus would be focused on attitude and TJ on skill. The two nodded in confirmation and set off toward the bleachers as Buffy called in the girls who were now warming up on the gym floor. 

The round up went okay, Buffy thought. She had natural leadership skills and no one attempted to question her authority. She glanced over to the boys sitting on the bleachers and Cyrus gave her a thumbs up. Of all the space they had, TJ had chosen to leave only a foot of distance between the two of them. She made a mental note to check back on them every once-in-a-while if she was feeling stressed, the show they put on would certainly take her mind off the try-outs. 

And so she did. Very often.

The talent hadn’t been as strong as she had hoped and she found herself getting wound up over small mistakes. “You have to remember Jefferson has never had a girl’s team before,” TJ reminded her. “They’re all learning and you’ve been playing with us for a semester, you’re expecting too much.” Cyrus nodded along with his words, but he didn’t seem to be actively listening. He had angled his body in toward TJ and his right leg was bouncing uncontrollably, he was somehow more nervous than she was.

“Any tips, Cyrus?” She asked. 

Cyrus shook his head, “Nope! Everyone looks like they’re having fun.” She let out a slow breath and jogged back over to where the girls were huddled. 

“Alright, let’s work on some free throw drills,” she announced.

As the drill ran its course, Buffy made a habit of looking back. She decided she would be able to excuse these check-ins for seeing how the boys were reacting to the players. The first time she checked on them, TJ’s hand had made its way to Cyrus’ shoulder. He was leaning against him and obviously explaining something. Whether it had to do with the tryouts or not, Buffy couldn’t tell.

The second time she looked over, she caught her best friend attempting what she would call the perfect example of how Cyrus expresses his feelings. He glanced at TJ, who was following the line of one of the students, and then looked down at the space between them. He placed his hand down between the gap and quickly pulled himself toward it, resulting in there being maybe an inch less room between their two bodies. She rolled her eyes, only Cyrus would see this as a risky move. 

The third time she noticed them was purely their own fault. She was coaching a few girls through a dribbling strategy when she heard a thump come from behind. She turned to see both boys standing up on the bleachers, TJ behind Cyrus. Cyrus had his head turned around facing TJ. She stopped mid sentence to observe what they were doing. Cyrus mocked a free throw and TJ caught his hand from behind. He moved to press himself up against Cyrus, and then aligned their hands to trace a perfect throwing stance. They lingered like that for what Buffy would call far too long and then Cyrus motioned for TJ to back up. He tried the move on his own. Although Buffy would have said his followthrough was rough, TJ grinned down at him and faked a slow clap. 

“Buffy?” Came a voice right in front of her.

She turned around and shook them from her mind, “Right, sorry.” 

Using Cyrus and TJ’s weird relationship as a stress distraction was working just a little too well.

She managed to keep her eyes on the players for a solid ten minutes before she looked back again, this time because she was going to yell if she had to watch this 6th grader hit the underside of the rim one more time. They were sitting back down, way closer than before. There was almost no space between the two of them. Buffy was sure that was TJ’s doing, he most likely sat down after Cyrus and deliberately left no space, but Cyrus was the one attempting a move at the moment. Another passive advance, Cyrus was shifting his right foot back and forth against the seat, knocking it into TJ’s foot every now and then. TJ was showing interest in what was happening on the court, but Buffy noticed his gaze shifting down to his own foot every now and then, smiling to himself when it came into contact with Cyrus’. 

 Because of this, Buffy wasn’t surprised in the slightest when she looked over for the fifth time and saw Cyrus’ ankle tucked behind TJ’s. They weren’t paying attention to Buffy’s tryouts at all, and were engaged in a hushed conversation. Buffy looked back at her team, and announced one last drill.

When tryouts were over and the girls started to pick up their things and leave, Buffy waved TJ and Cyrus over.

TJ was now leaning back in the bleachers, his arms sprawled over the row behind them and around Cyrus’ body. He pushed himself up and jumped down a row onto the floor, turning around and wrapping a hand around Cyrus’ wrist, pulling him up as well. Cyrus jumped down, still led by TJ, and they crossed over to Buffy like that, TJ only letting go right before they approached her.

“So,” Cyrus began, “How did it go?” 

“You were here the whole time,” Buffy stated. 

“Well yeah but do you have any thoughts?” Cyrus asked. 

“Yeah, I definitely have a lot of thoughts, Cyrus,” Buffy laughed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buffy POV on Tyrus is just one of my favourite things in the world...


	6. Face-down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ always puts his phone face-down when it's in front of him. Well, almost always

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ao3 is finally working again so ive managed to upload this from Tumblr! If you've read it already... there's an alternative ending in store..  
> Update: ao3 doesn't like it when you try to post emojis

TJ always placed his phone face-down when he needed quick access to it. He kept it close to him on the edge of the table, just in reach. It was just something he just did, and Buffy never thought anything of it. 

Never thought if it until they were alone one lunch period, that is. They were going over math problems and TJ’s phone was right next to him, face-down as it always was. It buzzed and he picked it up, slightly smirking at the screen as he typed out a response. Buffy dropped her eyes back down to her work and moved on to the next problem, reading it out loud. TJ dropped the phone back down at the sound of her voice, face-down. It happened two more times, him smiling at the screen a little more with each response. The third time, Buffy snaps at him to pay attention and he drops his phone down in shock. 

“Okay, okay,” he muttered. “Chill.” He pushed his phone over with his pencil and Buffy’s eyes followed it, it was face up. She glanced back over at the problem she was previously reading and re-read it to TJ. 

“So what’s the answer?” She asked.

He chewed on the edge of his pencil and looked down. “Give me a second.” 

She complied and moved on to the next question as she waited, making sure she was 100% correct before explaining it to TJ. A buzz broke her concentration and her eyes snapped to the source of the sound instinctively. The phone to her left lit up, Cyrus’ name across the screen. But it wasn’t _just_ Cyrus’ name, it was ‘Cyrus’, followed by a heart emoji . TJ’s hand shot out to cover the phone screen. He snatched it close to him and dropped it into his lap and then glanced up at Buffy. She rose an eyebrow at him and he dropped his eyes back down to his paper, his cheeks going red.

"So, do you have emojis for all your contacts?" She teased.

"Do you want me to leave?" TJ warned.

She smiled and looked back down at the worksheet. Although she would miss seeing 'Underdog' on TJ's phone, the heart more than made up for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i originally wrote the ending like this, then for some reason back-tracked and deleted it? and posted the other one to tumblr..but now i like this one again so here it is


	7. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ thinks Cyrus has a shot and tries to convince Cyrus to turn in a script he's written, but Cyrus refuses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk this was a random idea i had so its super short quick drabble 
> 
> (assume cyrus can actually write a script in this lollll)

TJ frowned at Cyrus, who had been pacing back and forth in front of the office door for almost twenty minutes. They could have left nineteen minutes ago if Cyrus could build up the confidence, but he couldn’t seem to shake his nerves. 

“C’mon,” TJ nudged Cyrus. “Just do it!” 

“No,” Cyrus responded. He stopped pacing and looked at his boyfriend firmly. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this! I’m not good enough.” He sighed and held up the script in his hand, “This isn’t good enough.” He fell into the dingy waiting room seat.

TJ stepped in front of him. “Look at me.” Cyrus looked up. “You are good enough. Besides, it’s worth knowing, right?” He nudged Cyrus’ foot. 

“I’d rather not know,” Cyrus admitted. 

“Do it for me then?” He asked. Cyrus shook his head and TJ pouted at him. 

“Nope, not going to work!” He turned his head away from the boy. In response, TJ leaned over and grabbed his wrists, pulling him up out of the chair.

“Underdog,” he said. “I’m not kidding, it’s good! You have a shot here and you’re going to miss it if you wait another ten minutes.” Cyrus pulled away and looked toward the door that seemed so daunting. 

He sighed and shook his head, “No. You can’t make me.” His eyes were still locked on the door.

“True, I can’t make you,” TJ replied. He walked around and grabbed Cyrus by the shoulder, pulling him around so they were facing each other, only a foot apart. “But I can assign consequences,” he smiled, raising an eyebrow. 

Cyrus frowned. “What does that even mean?” 

“If you don’t go turn in your script,” TJ took a step forward, “Right now, “ he leaned closer, “I’ll kiss you,” he finished, as if it that sentence meant nothing at all. 

“What?” 

“I’ll kiss you right here. I’ll ruin our first kiss. Every time you think about it, it’ll have happened right here in this dingy waiting room, while you were hopped up on nerves.” Tj moved one inch closer and Cyrus pulled back.

“Okay!” Cyrus turned and pulled open the door to the office and TJ grinned to himself. 

“You wouldn’t have really kissed me, right?” Cyrus asked when they were leaving the building two minutes later. 

TJ rolled his eyes. “Of course not, I’ve already got it all planned out and it does not take place in a tiny waiting room,” he explained.

“You have it all planned out?” Cyrus asked. “Never took you for being that romantic,” he teased. 

“Shut it,” he mumbled, pushing Cyrus on the shoulder. “Only for you."


	8. A Parallel Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ always seems to show up when Cyrus is around, and Buffy thinks she might know why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another request from Tumblr wheee hope you like, it's a quick one

“You’re here,” Buffy noted, “Again.”

TJ shrugged in response, “So?” He dropped his backpack down on the floor, nudging it under the table with his foot, and then dropped into the booth Cyrus was in, pushing him in as he sat. Cyrus said nothing and sipped on his milkshake, willingly letting himself be moved.

“And you’re staying,” Buffy noted again. 

“Yeah,” TJ said, stealing a baby tater from the basket in the middle of the table. “What were you guys talking about?” 

“My team, which you’re not interested in,” Buffy said. 

“We’re trying to figure out more fundraising methods,” Cyrus explained. “I vote we have a games night where people pay to come into the gym and play different types of games and the winners get some kind of prize. I’d definitely pay.” 

“That sounds fun,” TJ encouraged. “We could set up games of HORSE and Knockout, or do a tourney-style one v one.” 

Cyrus frowned, “I was thinking more like board games, so everyone can participate.”

“Sure, Underdog,” he laughed. “We’d definitely have those as well.” 

“I still think I should just start with something simple,” Buffy said. “Like a bake sale. Then use that money to support a bigger fundraiser.”

“We could do a bake sale at the games night! Two fundraisers in one?” Cyrus suggested. 

“That seems like too much.”

“Too much money for the team?” TJ quipped, stealing another baby tater. 

Buffy scowled at him, “That’s not what I meant.”

Cyrus jumped in his seat at that moment, causing both of them to turn their heads. “Sorry! Phone is going off,” he explained, pulling his phone out from his back pocket. “Hi, mom! Yup. Oh, okay, sure. Give me a minute.” He dropped down under the table and came back up with his backpack in his hand. “My mom’s here.”

TJ frowned, “You’re leaving?” He slid out of the booth to let Cyrus climb out. 

“Family night!” He explained. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” 

TJ turned and watched Cyrus exit The Spoon, then turned to face Buffy. “I should probably go too,” he reasoned. 

“Wait,” Buffy said. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” 

He shifted slightly, but sat down. “Sure, about what?”

“Why are you here?”

“Because you literally just asked me to stay,” he deadpanned. 

Buffy rolled her eyes. “You always show up when I’m here with Cyrus,” she commented. “Does he invite you?” 

TJ shrugged, “Sometimes. Why does it matter?”

“I’m just wondering if there’s something more going on,” she said. He shifted in his seat and fiddled with his phone, not saying anything. “Is there?” She asked. “Something more going on?” 

“Not as far as I know,” TJ said, his eyes concentrated on a spot on the table. 

“What does that mean?”

He looked up, his eyes meeting hers. “What do you think it means?” He challenged.

“I obviously don’t know.” Neither of them spoke for a second. “I’m not trying to make you say anything you don’t want to,” she clarified, “I just want to know why you’re always there.”

“You’re Cyrus’ best friend, right?”

It seemed like he was abruptly ignoring her question, but Buffy replied anyway. “Yes,” she said slowly.

“And you know everything about him? Like how he feels about specific things,” he paused, before adding, “Or people?”

“Maybe not specifically at any given time,” Buffy said. “But, yeah, I know most things, why?” She had a feeling she knew why, but she kept it to herself.

“I feel like we’ve been,” he paused and took a breath. “I feel like,” he stopped again. “Look, I like Cyrus.” Buffy nodded slowly, trying not to smile, and TJ continued. “I think he’s been,” he stopped himself. “It seems like he might like me too.”

“Interesting,” Buffy said. 

“So?” TJ asked, obviously waiting for something more.

“So what?” 

“So does he like me?” Buffy smiled at the way he asked, he was nervous for what seemed like the first time in his life.

“I was the one asking you a question, remember?” She rose an eyebrow. 

“And I’m pretty sure I answered it,” he replied. “So now answer mine.” 

“Which was?” She knew, she definitely knew, but she had to hear it again. 

“Do you think Cyrus likes me?” He asked in a hushed whisper. 

“Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s my secret to tell.” 

TJ frowned, “Seriously, Buffy?” 

“Ask him,” she pressed. 

“Ask him? If he likes me? Are you insane?” 

“Yes, I’m insane,” she deadpanned, picking up her backpack and dropping a ten dollar bill on the table. “Believe it or not, I’m not out to get you.” She leaned in and locked eyes with him, “Just trust me on this. Ask him.” And with that, she walked past him, smiling as soon as he couldn’t see her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried to parallel a bit more than this but i honestly couldn't see TJ like breaking down and telling Buffy he's gay. TJ is working an angle, as always, and he's much more concerned with Cyrus liking him than he really is about Buffy knowing he's gay. 
> 
> Also i love the hc that TJ is genuinely open about being gay, it just hasn't come up


	9. A Conversation in a Canoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus and Jonah are in a canoe together and everyone else is...well, it isn't exactly the girls' bonding trip Cyrus had hoped for, but maybe it will be for him and Jonah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shooting out fics left and right, that's right guys! it's that weird time between midterms and thanksgiving break where i have nothing to do!

Cyrus dropped the ore onto his lap, abandoning any progress they were making at paddling. Jonah looked back, noticing the canoe was starting to turn to his direction.

“What’s wrong?” He asked. 

Cyrus motioned over the lake, toward two specks in the distance. “They’re way ahead of us,” he said, then turned behind himself to motion to Amber and Andi a few lengths back. “And they’ve completely stopped.”

“So?” Jonah asked, smiling.

“This is supposed to be a re-bonding activity,” Cyrus complained. “It seems like Andi and Buffy are just…Getting further and further apart.”

Jonah shrugged, “Andi and Buffy are best friends, they’ll work it out.”

Cyrus frowned, “Aren’t I supposed to be the level-headed one?” 

“Sometimes you overthink too much, Cy-guy. Maybe it’s best if you just stay out of it?” 

Cyrus looked between the two canoes and then back at Jonah, “Stay out of it?”

“Yeah,” Jonah smiled at him. “Let’s just talk about something else!” 

Cyrus thought for a moment, then remembered his conversation with Andi from the weekend before. “So you and Andi? Friends and only friends?” 

“I think so!” Jonah replied enthusiastically. “She definitely forgives me for the song, right?” Cyrus nodded. “I really thought she would enjoy it,” he explained.

“She knows you’re sorry,” Cyrus encouraged. 

“That’s good,” he paused for a moment, as if he was unsure of what he was about to say. “I think we might be on weird terms again, though.” 

“What do you mean?” Cyrus wasn’t trying to reveal that Andi had already told him most of what was going on. 

“She brought up liking other people,” Jonah began. He looked behind their canoe at Andi and Amber, who were still stationary on the water, way out of earshot. “And I don’t think I did a good job at hiding it.” 

“Hiding what?” Cyrus asked. 

“Well, I kind of do have another crush,” he admitted. “But I can’t tell Andi—not because of feelings, but because it kind of happened over the summer. And I know we were together, I didn’t cheat on her, but I realised I didn’t like her as much, you know? I met someone new and, well, it just seemed right.”

“I know exactly how you feel.” 

Jonah smiled at him, “Thanks, Cy, I thought you would. You and Iris were perfect for each other, you didn’t even fight! You didn’t—Wait, why did you guys break up?” 

Cyrus took a deep breath. He was going to do this. He was going to do this in a canoe, over a large body of water, where there was absolutely no escape. “Because I’m gay.”

“What?” 

Cyrus wanted to laugh at how genuinely confused Jonah looked. “I don’t like girls, I like boys,” he clarified.

“But you dated Iris?” It was more of a statement than a question. 

Cyrus shrugged, “And I broke up with her,” he reasoned. “I think.” 

“I’m confused, why did you go out with her?”

“Because you wanted me to,” he admitted.

“Oh,” Jonah’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Cyrus. I didn’t mean to make you date her, I just thought we would have fun together.”

“We did!” Cyrus assured. “You don’t need to apologise. I liked Iris just, as a friend, but I definitely had fun.” 

Jonah nodded, “Okay, good.” They sat in silence for a moment before Jonah spoke again, “So what did you mean?”

“About what?” Cyrus asked.

“You said you knew exactly how I felt, with liking someone and it feeling right. If you didn’t mean Iris, then who?” 

“Um,” he hadn’t admitted it to anyone yet. He was worried about Buffy’s reaction, given their history, and Andi still thought he liked Jonah, he wasn’t ready to go through that conversation, but Jonah was a clean slate. He had no problems with TJ, and he wasn’t going to ask him a million questions like his best friends would. He was essentially the perfect person to tell.

“Should I not have asked?” Jonah asked through Cyrus’ silence, “Sorry, I’ve never had a gay friend before.”

Cyrus laughed and shook his head, “No. I actually want to tell you,” he said. “But no one else knows.” 

“Oh, that’s fine then,” Jonah said. 

“I just mean don’t tell anyone,” Cyrus clarified. 

“Oh, cool! I promise your secret is safe with me,” he smiled and held out his pinky. Cyrus smiled back and wrapped his pinky around Jonah’s and they shook on it. 

“TJ,” Cyrus said.

“TJ? What about T—Oh, right! So you guys are together?”

Cyrus almost tipped the canoe, “What? No!” 

“Oh, I just thought because you said it was a secret and if Buffy and Andi don’t know, well, why don’t they know?”

Cyrus shrugged, “I guess a few reasons, but I kind of like them not knowing,” he admitted. 

“I get that,” Jonah mused. 

“You thought TJ and I were together?” Cyrus laughed. 

“I mean, you guys are always _together,_ ” Jonah said. 

Cyrus smiled. Yeah, yeah they were. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i rarely write jonah as a foreground character so this was,, interesting for me


	10. Snowfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus waits for the first snowfall of the season.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First snow fall today! First time I ever really watched it come down from the beginning and it was awesome.  
>  Just a little extension of what I posted on tumblr earlier :)

Cyrus stood on his tiptoes, peering out the window. TJ walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder, looking out as well. “What are we waiting for?” He asked.

“It’s supposed to snow today,” Cyrus said excitedly.

“Hm,” TJ replied, searching the sky. “You gonna wait here all day?”

“It said it would start at 9am,” Cyrus explained.

TJ laughed, “Alright.” He pulled away from his boyfriend and kissed him on the cheek as he went. “You’re cute,” he mumbled.  Cyrus went red, ducking his head slightly. “You want some hot chocolate?” TJ asked, crossing the room.

“Yes, please,” Cyrus responded. TJ glanced back at him, still staring out the window, his eyes tracking any movement in the sky. He smiled and walked into the kitchen, pulling out a saucepan and setting it on the stove. He poured three cups of milk in and turned the gas, waiting for the pan to boil. He wandered back over to the window Cyrus was now leaning heavily against.

“Anything?”

“Not yet,” he replied. “But the sky’s going darker, I think it’ll start soon,” he added hopefully. TJ looked out again, it was slightly darker. The sky was stark white, if you were to see it like this for the first time you would never believe it could be blue. He pulled his eyes away and set back to the kitchen, checking on the stove.

The milk started boiling and he turned it down a notch, walking over to the cabinet and grabbing two mugs. He set them down by the sink and then rummaged through the cabinet above for the hot chocolate mix.

“Do we have whipped cream?” He heard Cyrus call. TJ walked to the fridge and located the red can.

“Yep!” He called back, grabbing the can and placing it next to the mugs.

He took the milk off the stove and divided it among the mugs, spooning the mix in and stirring it up. He piled whipped cream on top of the liquid in Cyrus’ mug and then picked up the two, making his way back over to the window.

“Anything yet?” He asked, handing Cyrus his mug.

“Almost,” he promised, accepting the warm mug. He broke his concentration on the window for a moment to look at his hot chocolate, and then at TJ. “Thank you,” he said. TJ smiled and knocked his mug against the other, taking a sip.

“TJ!” Cyrus exclaimed, his arm shooting out and clumsily grabbing TJ by the shoulder. His hot chocolate sloshed over the rim and dripped onto the floor. He frowned at it and then looked to Cyrus, who was completely smashed against the window. “Look, look, look!” He exclaimed. TJ has just enough time to safely slip his mug onto the windowsill before being pulled in by Cyrus.

Snowflakes were starting to slowly fall, swirling in circles as they came down, so light TJ was sure they wouldn’t even make it to the ground. It was pretty, but Cyrus’ was what really made him smile. He was awestruck by the sight, his eyes darting back and forth between every new speck coming down, cramming himself so close to the window he seemed tiny. “Do you see it?” Cyrus asked in excitement, still staring outside.

“Yeah, I see it,” TJ responded with a smile, unable to pull his eyes away from his boyfriend.

"Look!" Cyrus exclaimed again. TJ finally glanced back out the window. The wind must have been picking up, because the snow was spinning more intensely. It was still light and TJ wasn't sure it would get any harder, but he let Cyrus enjoy the view for as long as he wished. He pulled himself away slightly, sipping on his hot chocolate. "Can we sit outside and watch from there?" He asked.

TJ looked out, "Sure," he smiled. 

Cyrus all but sprinted from the window into his bedroom, pulling on his boots as fast as possible.

"I don't think it's going to change that much if you take an extra two seconds to put on a jacket," TJ laughed as Cyrus swung open the door in just a long sleeved shirt.

Cyrus frowned down at his torso and then spun around quickly, leaving the door wide open. TJ shook his head and grabbed the mugs off the windowsill, heading outside. It didn't feel as cold as it had been a few days ago, somehow the snow made thirty degrees bearable, at least for a moment. The snow was getting heavier, despite what he thought from the window. He could see it picking up from above, the flakes forming shapes more clearly. He watched as a snowflake dropped into his mug, melting instantly. Cyrus appeared at his side.

"Wow," he mused. TJ agreed, it looked more magical outside. The trees and grass were still mostly green, so the snow was visible almost instantly, even if it was melting rapidly. 

"You're not going to be too cold?" TJ asked, passing him the hot chocolate. 

Cyrus shook his head, "I've got this," he held up a blanket, "And you." TJ smiled and stepped down onto the grass, Cyrus close behind him. They walked for a few minutes, no snow on the street yet, and arrived at the park. The benches were slightly damp from the melting snow, but neither of them minded. Cyrus sat down crosslegged, placing the blanket on his lap and cradling his mug in his hands. TJ sat next to him, pulling the blanket over his lap. He looked out at the park, the snow becoming more and more visible by the minute, and took a sip of his drink. It was already growing cold and he frowned. 

“Probably wasn’t the best idea to bring the drinks with us,” TJ commented. 

Cyrus shrugged, “It’s keeping my hands warm.” He was watching the tree right in front of them, the snowflakes finally sticking to the leaves and building on top of each other. It was definitely starting to pick up now, the first drops were sticking to the ground and snow started to stick to their blanket. TJ shuffled closer to Cyrus, snaking an arm behind his waist and pulling him in. Cyrus accepted the pull and slightly sunk into TJ’s body. 

“You cold yet?” TJ asked, rubbing his arm. 

Cyrus shook his head, “Nope.” He took a sip of his drink, “But this is.” TJ smiled and took it out of his hand, setting it on the ground underneath the bench along with his own mug. Cyrus cupped his hands around his mouth and breathed into them, trying to warm them up. TJ reached out, cupping his hands around Cyrus’ and pulling them into his lap, rubbing them. Cyrus finally took his eyes off the snow, facing his boyfriend. A snowflake landed on his nose and TJ smiled, kissing the spot where it fell.

“This is perfect,” Cyrus said, dropping his head into TJ’s chest. TJ wrapped his boyfriend in his arms and closed his eyes, it was perfect.


	11. Flirting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ catches Reed flirting with Cyrus and he's not happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU in which the gun stuff didn't happen ig lol

TJ was walking to his locker when he spotted two people together he absolutely never expected to see: Cyrus and Reed. He frowned, forgetting about his English assignment and making his way over to the two boys, who were chatting by Cyrus’ locker. Reed was leaning over him, so close it made TJ uncomfortable. He was grinning down at Cyrus with an expression which either meant he was teasing, or he was flirting; TJ couldn’t tell. As he got closer, it became more and more obvious: He wasn’t blatantly teasing him.

“Cyrus,” TJ said, approaching the boys. Cyrus smiled at him and then TJ turned to his best friend. “Reed,” the name came out more testing than he had expected. Reed gave him a subtle wink. 

“I was just telling Cyrus how cool it is that he’s running for class president,” Reed explained. “You definitely have the face for it,” Reed said quieter. Cyrus half smiled, half frowned, unsure of what Reed was really saying. TJ completely frowned. “A lot of the kids running are average looking, you know? But you’re pretty. You’ve got great hair, your eyes, like,” he leaned in closer, “sparkle, and you’ve got an amazing smile. I’d vote for you just based on your smile,” he grinned. TJ wanted to push him. He wanted to grab him by his jacket and yank him down the hallway. Wanted to slam him into the lockers and tell him to back off. But he didn’t, he grit his teeth and watched Cyrus.

He had gone pink, and started playing with the straps of his backpack. “Thanks,” he said lightly, his eyes darting to TJ quickly, then back at Reed. TJ tried to make himself seem unbothered, but he was sure it was obvious. 

“I mean it. I like watching you talk, you could be a really great class president.” He was so close to Cyrus, TJ’s nails were digging into the palms of his hands. 

“Thanks,” Cyrus replied, still blushing, “I hope I do too.” 

“You’re really smart about politics and stuff,” Reed continued. “You wanna meet up outside of school sometime? You could teach me about politics, why some people feel certain ways or do certain things,” he said. 

Cyrus frowned, “That’s psychology.” He looked back at TJ for a moment. 

Reed shrugged, “Yeah that’s like political though, right? You can teach me that stuff, you’re smart,” he grinned. “Doesn’t really matter though, I’ll just listen to you talk. I’ll tell you if your speech is good, if you look good, maybe pick out your outfit?” He looked down, “You should definitely wear khakis, they look great on you. And a red shirt, the one with the white collar? You wore that last week and I—” That was it, TJ stepped in, slamming his hand into Reed’s chest. He stumbled back slightly, laughing.

“Sorry, Cyrus, I forgot Reed and I had a project due next period that we haven’t finished,” TJ lied, probably very poorly, as his voice was thick with anger. He didn’t wait for Cyrus to respond, or even look at him, he pushed Reed down the hallway by his chest. When they were around the corner, he grabbed his shirt and spun him around, “What the hell,” he hissed. Reed was smiling at him. “I’ll punch you,” TJ warned.

“No you won’t,” Reed replied. 

“Why were you flirting with him?” TJ pressed. 

Reed faked a gasp, “Flirting? No!” TJ pushed him against the lockers, causing a few people to turn their way. “Relax, man,” he had finally stopped smiling, “I’m just messing around.” 

“Messing around? You’re fucking with him, fucking with his feelings,” He hissed.

“Oh really? Am I?” Reed pushed TJ off of him, but stood his ground against the spot TJ had trapped him in. “How can flirting with a straight guy fuck with his feelings? He’s straight, right? That’s why you have no chance?” Reed tested.

“You’re a dick,” TJ said, pushing him back into the lockers and then letting go.

“Seriously, TJ, why are you mad?” Reed brushed down his shirt, “All you do is rant about how he’s definitely straight, think about it,” he pushed. 

“Are you high?”

“You’re mad. You watched him react to the things I said and it made you mad,” Reed explained. 

“You were repeating shit I’ve said,” TJ shot back. “His smile? That red shirt? Dumb shit I’ve said.”

“Funny shit you’ve said,” Reed laughed. “So? It’s not like he knew that. It’s how he reacted.”

“Which was what?”

“He got nervous, he blushed, he kept looking,” he poked TJ in the chest, “At you.” 

TJ shrugged, “So what?”

“So he’s not straight, you idiot,” Reed concluded. 

“That’s not proof,” TJ said. Reed shrugged and turned to walk off but TJ caught him, pushing him up against the lockers once more. “And if you flirt with him,” TJ pushed him harder, “Ever again. I will hit you.” 

Reed rolled his eyes and pushed him off, “Make it so I don’t need to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just...imagine tj gushing about how cute cyrus looks in that red shirt heh


	12. Truth or Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group plays truth or dare but with very clear motives, and Cyrus is left out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i posted this on tumblr agessss ago but i wanted to put it here and completely forgot..anyway i added a little to the end and .. here you go! happy last day of the hiatus!

Cyrus sat cross-legged, elbows propped up on his legs and chin resting on his hands, which were clasped together. They had been playing truth or dare for the last ten minutes, and he had yet to be picked for anything. He was pretty much expecting to be left out: Andi had really only picked the game to force Buffy’s feelings for Marty to come out, but it still stung a little. They were three ‘truth’s’ deep with Marty, where he had already admitted he had a crush on Buffy (to no one’s surprise) and that he definitely would kiss her out of everyone in the circle. He still wouldn’t choose dare, however, so the game went on. 

Buffy, on the other hand, kept choosing dare because Andi had promised to never make her first kiss come through a party game. Cyrus had never promised anything of the sort, and he had already had his first kiss, so why couldn’t he be the source of kissing entertainment? There were certainly people in the circle he wanted to kiss.  

He risked a glance over to TJ, who was whispering to Marty. He frowned. He had never realised the two of them were actually friends until Marty started hanging out with them again. He wasn’t jealous, but they did seem a lot closer than Cyrus had expected.  

“Okay, Buffy,” Marty said, pushing TJ away from him slightly, “I dare you to kiss TJ.” Buffy looked at him like he had just asked her to kiss a dead rat. TJ scowled at Marty, smacking him in the head. 

“I’d sooner lick a toilet,” Buffy replied, which earned a laugh from Marty. “Besides, you can’t dare me to have my first kiss, it’s an established rule.” 

“I’m just kidding. I wanted to see your reaction,” he said. Cyrus considered this. Was he kidding? Why had they been whispering right before that whole ordeal? Could..TJ  _like_ Buffy? Cyrus shifted his position, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his cheek on his knee, facing the two boys. TJ noticed this and smiled at him, holding up his bag of chips in offering. Cyrus shook his head in response. 

“I dare you to lick the toilet,” Marty said.

“You’re disgusting,” Buffy replied.

“A dare’s a dare!” 

Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed herself up from the ground, walking toward the bathroom. Marty jumped up, following her quickly. Cyrus watched them go into the room, but had little interest in actually watching  _whatever_ was going to happen. She came back out approximately three seconds later, Marty scowling. 

“That’s not fair!” Marty whined, trailing behind her as they made their way back to the circle.

“You didn’t specify,” Buffy replied, not bothering to look back at him. “It’s not my fault you’re bad at giving dares. Get better.” Marty had a goofy smile on his face and Cyrus turned to make eye-contact with Andi, just to clarify they saw the same thing. “So now it’s my turn!” Buffy announced and she sat back down.

“Oh,” Marty replied, his face falling. 

“Really didn’t think that one through, huh?” Cyrus sighed, trying to get more comfortable on his knees. They were just going to go back and forth again. There was no end to this game, to the flirting and the bantering, and there was no way to include him. “TJ,” Buffy stated. Cyrus was suddenly interested again. 

“Dare,” TJ replied. Cyrus looked to Buffy, somehow hoping he could convey his desire to have TJ kiss him to her telepathically. But did he really want that to be their first kiss? In a dumb game? Probably not, yet he really was regretting keeping his crush a secret at that moment. 

“I dare you to kiss,” she rose an eyebrow in suspension, “Marty.” Cyrus’ head shot up. What?

“What?” TJ said, looking to Marty and then to Buffy, who was smiling. 

“Kiss Marty,” she repeated. “On the lips.”

Cyrus was hoping he would say no, say he hadn’t had his first kiss, that he’d sooner kiss a toilet, that Marty would be the last person in the world he would ever kiss. But he didn’t. 

He shrugged. “Okay.” Buffy’s smile fell. Cyrus was looking at the two boys, trying his hardest to tear his eyes away. He couldn’t believe they would actually kiss. They wouldn’t, right? There was no way. 

Marty was facing TJ now, wiggling his eyebrows and TJ wasted absolutely no time. He placed his hand behind the boy’s head and pulled him in. Their lips connecting. 

Cyrus watched TJ press into the kiss and his vision went blurry. He pushed himself up as best he could, stumbling on the way and exiting the room as fast as he could. He wasn’t excusing himself to the bathroom, he needed to be completely out of that room, as far away as possible. 

He made it outside, with some luck, and threw himself down on the porch bench, dropping his head into his hands to rub at his eyes. His breathing was shallow and he still couldn’t see clearly. What was wrong with him? Why was he panicking over a stupid kiss in a stupid game?

He tried to focus his breathing but his mind just went back to the kiss. How TJ had been so casual about it, he hadn’t even acted like it was an issue. He was casual about kissing Marty, and he had..actually kissed him. Not that Cyrus had expected him to actually do anything at all, but he thought it would be a peck, something small and reluctant, like his kiss with Iris. That wasn’t what that was. TJ had kissed him and then kissed him again. TJ had kissed Marty exactly how Cyrus had daydreamed the two of them would kiss one day. TJ’s hand in Cyrus’ hair, their lips touching lightly at first and then—he felt sick. He stood up, pushing himself off the bench and grabbing onto the rail of the porch, leaning over it. Whatever he was going to do, he wasn’t going to cry.  

The cold helped, and he got a nice breeze from the wind as he leaned over. He slowed his breathing finally, and his vision wasn’t as blurry. He was okay. There was no need to panic. Whatever that was, however TJ may feel, Marty liked Buffy. Marty liked Buffy. He closed his eyes, repeating that sentence in his head. He was going to have to go back inside, and explain some reason for his absence. Or was he? He wasn’t even being included, maybe they didn’t even notice he was gone. The thought made him sad, but it helped calm him down. His problems weren’t that big of a deal. He loosened his grip on the railing slightly and tried to straighten himself, taking another deep breath.

“Cyrus?” He froze. It was TJ. He closed his eyes, unable to turn around. “Are you okay?” Bad words. Really bad words to use around him. He felt his eyes sting. No. He gripped the railing again. He wasn’t going to do this. 

He took a breath, a little shakier this time. ‘Yes,’ ‘I’m fine,’ anything along those lines was what he should say. “Go away,” was what came out. He didn’t want to tell TJ to go away, but he really couldn’t handle the boy being there. 

“Cyrus.” He stepped closer, Cyrus could tell. “Did I do something wrong?” Cyrus wanted to yell and laugh at the same time. At least he was that oblivious to his crush, that was a positive, right? “Can you talk to me?” His voice was soft but Cyrus detected a twinge of annoyance. Leave it to TJ to make Cyrus believe this was somehow his fault. He took a breath and turned around.

“What do you want?” He asked, trying to keep his voice steady. 

“To know if you’re okay? Why did you run out like that?”

“Because I’m an idiot,” he replied, feeling his eyes sting again. He hastily pulled at his sleeve to wipe at the tears he felt forming.

“Are you crying?” TJ asked, stepping forward. Cyrus pulled away quickly, trying to hide his face. “Cyrus,” TJ pushed, obviously growing frustrated with him. His voice made Cyrus tear up again. “Hey,” TJ said, slightly softer. He grabbed Cyrus by the arm, pulling him back around. “Am I making you cry?” Cyrus was looking at him now, and there was no turning away. He didn’t know what to say, how to respond to a question like that, so he just blinked. He felt a tear roll down his cheek and noticed TJ’s eyes went to it. His hand came up to Cyrus’ face, thumb brushing over his cheek and wiping away the tear. “Please don’t cry,” he murmured, his hand still on Cyrus’ face, thumb pressed lightly to his cheek. 

“I like you,” Cyrus whispered. It came out like a reflex, like an impulse he had absolutely no control over, which was likely thanks to his emotional breakdown. 

TJ smiled at him lightly, his thumb ghosting over the spot where the tear had fallen. “I might have assumed that when you freaked out over me kissing another guy,” he admitted. Cyrus blinked, another tear rolling down his cheek. So TJ knew. And he was still standing there, hand on his face. And he knew. “Hey,” TJ said, his thumb catching the new tear, “Why are you still crying?” 

He hadn’t said it back. He hadn’t really said  _anything._  “Y-you, did—haven’t—you—,” he couldn’t get the words out. He was trying so hard not to cry even more, it took everything he had.

“You think I don’t like you?” TJ chuckled softly, leaning in closer. “Cyrus, I’ve had a crush on you since the moment we met,” he admitted. “I’ve been infatuated with you for months. I’ve lost sleep thinking about you. I’ve failed tests trying to work out how to tell you. I’ve spent hours ranting to Amber about you.” Cyrus couldn’t believe a word coming out of TJ’s mouth. Was he dreaming? 

“But you kissed Marty.” That was still at the forefront of his mind, obviously. 

“That was a dare,” TJ pointed out. “A dare by Buffy. I morally, and probably legally, could not back out of that.” Cyrus chuckled and TJ smiled wide. “Marty  is an idiot,” he continued, “He’d never get a real kiss out of me.”

“A real kiss?” Cyrus asked, looking up at TJ, all too aware the boy’s hand was still on his face. 

“Yeah,” TJ whispered, running his thumb across Cyrus’ cheekbone. “A real kiss.” 

They were so close, Cyrus barely had to whisper for TJ to hear him. “What’s that like?”

TJ ran his thumb down Cyrus’ cheek and met his hand under Cyrus’ jaw, angling his chin slightly. “Can I show you?” 

Cyrus’ breathing hitched. He nodded softly, his eyes dropping to TJ’s lips. 

It wasn’t like the kiss with Marty at all. TJ didn’t pull him, he just leaned in slowly, his hand guiding Cyrus’ chin so their lips connected perfectly. The kiss was soft, incredibly soft and slow, like TJ was scared to push too hard. It was perfect. He left himself melt into TJ’s lips for the moment, savouring the feeling as best he could. 

TJ broke it, pulling back slightly, meeting his eyes. “Like that,” he grinned. Cyrus just nodded slowly in response, in slight shock from the feeling. TJ dropped his hand from Cyrus’ face. “Was it okay?” He asked, slightly concerned by Cyrus’ reaction. 

“Yes!” Cyrus hastily replied. “I mean, yeah, it was—wow,” he breathed, still staring at TJ’s lips.

“That good, huh?” He teased. Cyrus chuckled lightly, looking up at him. “You’re really cute when you bite your lip,” TJ commented. Cyrus felt his cheeks get warm and TJ grinned even wider. “You wanna go back inside?” Cyrus hesitated, looking over his shoulder toward the front door. Everyone definitely knew he had ran out because of TJ at this point. Obviously Buffy and Andi wouldn’t say anything about it, no one knew what had happened between them after that and they wouldn’t risk messing with his feelings about it, but he was still nervous, he was still—

“—Cyrus,” TJ broke his thoughts. “Don’t worry about them. Marty and Buffy kind of had a fight after I—after the dare, and Andi left the room when I did.” 

Cyrus frowned. “And you want to go back in there?” 

TJ chuckled. “Okay, fight might not be the right word,” he admitted. 

“So they’re…” Cyrus trailed off, unsure of how to finish his thought. 

“They probably had a conversation like ours,” TJ helped. Cyrus nodded, his eyes still on the door. TJ knocked him slightly and he met his eyes, following his gaze down to his hand, which was extended out. Cyrus took it, interlocking his fingers with TJ’s and smiling up at him. “You’re doing it again,” TJ said as they walked toward the front door. 

“Doing what?” Cyrus replied.

“Biting your lip.” 

“Sorry,” Cyrus replied sheepishly, clamping his teeth together. 

TJ stopped him so they were facing each other again. “No, I,” he paused for a second, “I really like it,” he repeated. Cyrus couldn’t help but blush again, even though it was the exact same compliment. “Am I embarrassing you?” TJ grinned. 

“I’m just not used to compliments,” Cyrus admitted. 

“You’ll get used to them,” TJ replied. “Otherwise you’ll be pink for the rest of your life.” Cyrus smiled and TJ shrugged. “I wouldn’t complain though, it’s a good colour on you.” Cyrus ducked his head slightly, he was going to be pink for the rest of his life.


End file.
